As I was layering up to head out over the weekend for my last training ride at home I was thinking about the warmer temperatures that await, and how nice it will be to ride in short sleeves, and not with multiple layers on!

Velothon Sunshine Coast event week is here. The week that has been marked on my calendar for the past 5 months. The week that sees me head across to the beautiful Sunshine Coast to tackle my first road cycling stage race.

This week originally seemed so far away. Then suddenly it was down to 10 weeks…and I clearly remember sitting here writing about the need to refocus after a busy month, and prioritise the important training rides I needed to complete.

Since then I have no idea where those 9 weeks have gone! My focus has been strong, my training has been intense and my priorities have been all geared towards my goal.

As I make my final purchases of items I want to take with me, read through the Ride Guide and pack my gear, checking off my list as I go, I get butterflies in my stomach. The excited kind though. The nervous ones will come later in the week…

I am really looking forward to this adventure, experience and challenge. I am really happy with my training and the hard work I have put in. I feel organized and am pleased with my plan for the week, allowing me time to acclimatize when I arrive, rest before Day One and enjoy the whole experience.

When I set myself this challenge, I wanted the journey to be fulfilling and a complete experience, and to date it has been exactly that. So I really can’t wait for the final leg and to enjoy all that I have worked really hard for.

“Climb Mountains.
Not so the world can see you,
but so that you can see the world”.

Penelope Watson
Team CP Sports Coach

To be able to perform your best in the summer you need a good foundation. There are 5 fundamental components that make that foundation and they are…

• Developing routine and consistency of training – habits
• Preparing your body to train (Strength, Mobility)
• Developing technique
• Nutritious eating
• Getting enough good sleep

If you can work on developing a good routine in Winter when it is dark and cold this sets a platform to work from when the days get longer. By developing that routine now it means that you can work out the best times that work for you to train with those important people in your life. Then when spring and summer roll around you can use this routine to launch from – using specific sessions to increase in intensity and duration.

Over time the routine will form into habit. Habits are easy, we don’t have to think hard, as it is just what we do. Habits can either be good or bad for us. They are tough to set up and tough to change but they start from developing a good routine. Over time this will form into habit and become your new normal.

Routine is a discipline, and discipline is what gets things done. So hang tough and work hard to develop that new routine and it will pay dividends in summer.
Richard

Ingredients
1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good), stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons honey
Freshly ground black pepper
1 mango, diced small (about 1 cup)
Small handful toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), about 2 rounded tablespoons

Directions
In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.
In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.
Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pepitas. Toss and serve.
Per Serving: Calories 269; Total Fat 17 grams; Saturated Fat 2.5 grams; Protein 6 grams; Total Carbohydrate 28 grams; Sugar: 14 grams; Fiber 4 grams; Cholesterol 0 milligrams; Sodium 170 milligrams
Recipe courtesy of Aarti Sequeira, 2010

Ingredients

150 g fresh spinach

1 cup coconut water

1 medium banana, peeled, chopped and frozen

1 ½ cups blueberries frozen (can use any frozen berries)

Method

1. Combine the frozen banana and blueberries in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until the fruit are well chopped.
2. Add the spinach to the ingredients and process until well incorporated.
3. With the motor running, pour in the coconut water. Puree the mixture until it reaches your desired consistency.

Chicken & Avocado Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

250gm of boneless, skinless, cooked chicken

1 small red onion – finely sliced

1 small red apple – finely sliced

1tsp sultanas

1 avocado – peeled, stoned and sliced

1 bag mixed salad leaves (rocket is great here)

1 tbsp dill – finely chopped

Dressing:

1 tbsp French mustard

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 clove garlic – crushed

1 tsp thyme – finely chopped

Method

• Combine the chicken with the onion, apple and walnuts
• Add the avocado slices
• Combine all the dressing ingredients and pour over the chicken salad
• Divide the salad leaves and top with the chicken salad
• Sprinkle with the dill

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

150g (6 oz) fresh spinach leaves or silver beet leaves

1 cup coconut water (can replace with water)

1 banana, peeled and frozen or fresh

3 Brazil nuts

1 serving of protein powder

1 tsp honey

*Add ice to make a slushy.

Method:

1 – Drain the water from the coconut. Set aside

2 – Coarsely chop silver beet if using.

3 – Combine the spinach/sliver beet, coconut water, Brazil nuts, honey and bananas in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add more water if you prefer a thinner smoothie.

Adjustments:

Great basic Green Smoothie to play around with!

• Coconut water: water, unsweetened almond, oat or soy milk
• Sweetener: Dates, Honey, Fruit of your choice
• Extras: ½ avocado, Mint leaves, Cinnamon, yoghurt, protein powder, rolled oats

Sourced from: www.drlibby.com

Brown Rice Sushi

(From ‘Bite’ recipes)

Sushi dressing:

1 ½ tsp                  Pure maple syrup

½                           Lemon juiced

1 tbsp                    Rice wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp                    Tahini

1 tbsp                    Fresh ginger, peeled or grated

Sushi:

1 cup                     Brown rice, cooked

3                            Nori sheets

Directions

• Whisk together all the ingredients for the sushi dressing until well combined.
• Mix the cooked rice and the dressing in a large bowl, blending until the rice becomes sticky. Cover the bowl and let the rice sit to absorb the flavors.
• To assemble, wet your hands and lay the 3 nori sheets on a work surface.
• Spread the seasoned rice evenly over 3/4 of each sheet.
• Arrange fillings of your choice (see suggestions below) lengthways along the rice and roll each sheet, starting from an end that has been spread with rice and finishing with the end of the nori that was left unfilled. Use a little water if necessary to seal the seam.
• Place the rolls, seam-side down, on a clean work surface and cut each roll into 12 pieces.

Ideas for fillings

• 5 to 10 pieces of roasted pumpkin, cut into 2cm x 10cm strips
• 1 red capsicum, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced into lengths
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into fine julienne
• 1 handful baby spinach
• 1 handful alfalfa sprouts
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
• Sliced egg omelette (whisk 2 eggs and cook in a pan with a little melted coconut oil and slice lengthways  when cooled)
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 Yellow capsicum, seeded and thinly sliced
• 4 cos lettuce leaves
• 10 snow peas, julienned

Healthy Asian Noodles

Ingredients

1 cup flat or hokkein noodles
2 tablespoons yaki soba or hoi sin sauce
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cup bean sprouts
20 cooked green prawns
2 tablespoons sesame or peanut oil
1 chicken breast, cut into strips
1 red capsicum, finely sliced
1 green capsicum, finely sliced
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Method

• Cook noodles and then mix with sauce, onion, sprouts and sauce in a bowl.
• Heat oil in wok and add chicken, vegetables, prawns and stir fry for 2 mins before adding noodle mix.

Once chicken is cooked add egg. Finish with sesame seeds and serve.

Falafels:

• 1 x tin of beans
• 1 x tin of chickpeas
• 1 x lemon
• 1 x table spoon of harissa (spice)
• 1 x teaspoon of all spice
• 1 x tablespoon of plain flour
• coriander
• olive oil

Salsa dressing:

• 5 x ripe tomatoes
• ½ – 1 fresh red chili
• 1 x clove of garlic
• 1 x lime

Method: drain the beans and chickpeas and process them. Finely grate in lemon zest, adding a pinch of salt and pepper, harissa, allspice, flour and coriander. Process food again and divide into balls. Place 1 Tablespoon of oil into frying pan and add falafels, turning when golden.

For the salsa finely dice the tomatoes, chili and garlic. Squeeze in the lime juice and place all ingredients into a food processor and whiz until fine, then season to taste.

Place falafels with added salad ingredients and salsa into Gerry’s ‘Go Lo Carb’ or ‘Go No Gluten’ wraps and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 x 200g block of haloumi, coarsely grated

4 carrots, peeled and grated

4 tablespoons plain flour (or use gluten free flour)

4 spring onions, finely sliced

2 eggs, lightly whisked

Oil spray for cooking

Instructions


Preheat oven to 140 degrees. Squeeze excess moisture from the carrot then combine with the other ingredients in a bowl. Season with a little black pepper or chilli flakes. Form mixture into round fritters, packing tightly with your hands. Spray a heavy bottomed fry pan with oil spray and heat over medium high heat. Carefully add the fritters and cook for around 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked and golden. Remove and keep warm on an oven tray. Serve with salad.